The Science of Stress

Stress can wreak havoc not only on our state of mental well being but even on our physical health as well. Scientists continue to study the origins of stress and what happens inside the body as we experience the negative feelings associated with stress and anxiety. A study conducted back in 1998 found that people who reported high levels of stress but did not believe it was harmful to their health had the lowest mortality rates. Building on this finding, a study by researcher Alia Crum has found that mindset does matter when it comes to stress. She and her colleagues found that the mindset we choose to adopt can have a strong influence upon health and behavior. By acknowledging stress in a way that is positive rather than negative, she explains that we can better handle our stress and make use of it. She encourages a three-step process to ensure a “stress helps” rather than a “stress hurts” mindset:

“1. Acknowledge stress when you experience it and notice how it impacts you psychologically and physically.
2. Recognize that stress is a response to something you care about. Try to connect to the positive motivation behind the stress.
3. Make use of the energy stress gives you.”

Click here to read the full article by Paula Davis-Laack for Huffington Post.